Course Update: October 2020

Friday 9 October 2020

Spring has sprung!  Although, this week has had a wintery feel about it with some cooler weather and decent rainfalls, 35mm which is quite welcomed this time of year.  With Greens renovations carried out in early September, we are seeing these surfaces recover well and are perfectly placed coming into the growing season.  The fairways, after the minor works are slowly starting to “wake up” with excellent colour and coverage and with some warmer weather forecast in the next week, should see all our Couch surfaces start to take off.

There’s been plenty of action on and off course over the last few weeks.  Staff have been busy with preparing the course for the growing season, with applications on Couch areas to control Couch Mite, Wetting agents and fertilizer to promote early spring Growth.  A few of our winter projects are bedding down nicely,  with the newly laid sod at the 3^rd, 8^th tee and the newly revetted bunkers been hand cut with walk behind mowers before the larger machines start cutting in late spring, early summer.

The wooden bunker rakes have been placed in Greenside bunkers with a back-order number to go into the fairway bunkers, hopefully in the next month or so.  Thanks to our loyal band of volunteers in giving these new rakes a couple of coats of oil before going out into the weather.

The works on the 8^th hole continue, with concrete kerbing laid to edge to path, also to stop stray golf buggies and carts going for a swim!  Path works should be finalised over the next week or so.  The area in front of the tee will have a weed control treatment this month, followed by a plant out of sedges, grasses and groundcovers once the herbicide withholding period is completed.

Past Club Captain, John Rawson has kindly donated a Flow Beehive to add to our Biodiversity initiatives. Housing the Bees, we’ve stationed the hive at our plant nursery, well out of play to minimise the opportunity to disturb the Bees as they go about their business. You can find out about the Flow Hive process by going to https://www.honeyflow.com.au/pages/how-flow-works

As we all know, Bees are an integral part of the Biodiversity chain as they are the key pollinators of plants, both native, non-native and in the horticultural produce industry.  It has been estimated that the value of honeybee-reliant agriculture and horticulture in Australia is AUD $4–6 billion per year and rising, so they’re busy little buggers!  John assures us that the Hive will produce honey for us by the end of the year, so look out for “The Bay Honey” around Christmas!

Off course, Course Operations Manager Simon “Simmo” Grieve has resigned from his position to take up a role with Lawn Nation.  Simon’s departure is a great loss to us on Course with his experience from his time here at “the Bay” invaluable. Simon’s last day with us is next Friday 16^th , so if anyone would like to catch up with Simon before he departs, the Course Staff are having our annual “Keepers Cup” golf day to coincide with his farewell with a few beverages afterwards, so come and wish Simon all the best!

Happy Golfing! 

Tim Warren
Course Superintendent